Footy Speak

A lot to get through really, but I’ll keep it short!

Liverpool vs Burnley – Benayoun played an absolutely fantastic game, scoring a brilliant hatrick. Kuyt scored the other Liverpool goal in a 4-0, over the team which downed Manchester United.  Not only did Benayoun score 3, he set up Kuyt’s goal, well, sort of. Blasted a fantastic shot at the keeper, who couldn’t handle it. Being fair to Kuyt, he’s a striker, poaching is a must. If you watch the replays, you’ll see how he anticipated to keeper dropping the shot, and making sure he was the first to get there. Overall, a solid performance from the reds.

Chelsea vs Stoke – Pretty standard match this. Chelsea dominating possession after getting the equalizer. The keeper, keeps it level until the very last minute – and bang, something ticks off in his head and he’ll let a ball fly into the back of his net. One, he really should be saving. I’m not exactly sure where the 5 minutes of extra time came in this match. Well done to Chelsea for sticking at it though. Although, this seems to happen a fair bit with the blues, eh?

Manchester United vs Spurs – THIS game, was one of the best games, I’ve had the pleasure of watching this season. Dream start for Spurs, when Crouchy nodded down the ball, only for Jermaine Defoe to smash it in the back of the net, upside down! (bicycle kick) – After that ball nestled the net, the game was packed full of cation. My favorite moment of this game came at Manchester’s equalizer. I will never forget that footy moment. Let me explain further.

1.) Berbatov seems to dive (SEEMS!) – although the tackle was pretty ridiculous, two footed, from behind.

2.) The commentator decides to mention a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, and how Manchester United would be missing his services at this precise moment.

3.) Gigs steps up – and sends a beauty into the top-right corner – Cudicini seemed to get fairly close, but in reality, it would of had to be a pretty special save!

Thats all for now, take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Robbie Blake’s first half beauty was enough to give Burnley their first win in the top flight of English football for 33 years. What an achievement. Although, Blake almost turned into the villain. Just before the break, he brought down Evra in the box, giving United the chance to equalize. But Brian Jensen saved Carrick’s spot kick, a big hand reaching out to slap the Manchester United players across the face.

United, missing a number of first-choice defenders including Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, were out of sorts but can have only themselves to blame for defeat after Michael Carrick squandered the chance to equalise with a missed penalty just before the break.

But for all United’s shortcomings – nervy at the back, far from commanding in midfield and largely toothless up front – the result proved Burnley will be a force to be reckoned with on home turf.
That said, United enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges – although that was hardly a surprise given the different footballing worlds the two sides have occupied in recent times.

Michael Owen was handed his first start in a United shirt, Alex Ferguson asking the striker to play up front alongside Wayne Rooney in a traditional 4-4-2 with Dimitar Berbatov left on the bench.
And it was Owen who nearly broke the deadlock after just two minutes. But his stab at Patrice Evra’s near post cross did little to add weight to the clammer for him to return to the England set-up.
Owen did have the ball in the back of the net two minutes later, but his effort at the second time of asking, was disallowed for off-side.

After weathering the early storm, Owen Coyle’s side began to come into the game and Blake stunned the champions with a barn-storming 19th minute volley which arrowed into the top right hand corner, leaving Ben Foster no chance at all, after Evra had failed to get enough distance on a clearing header.

It could easily have been their second of the night, as Martin Paterson had gone close just moments earlier, rounding Foster only to see his effort blocked by Edwin van der Sar’s stand-in.
United did fashion chances to draw level before the break.

Owen was again guilty of a bad miss, this time with a totally mistimed header from Wes Brown’s well-delivered cross, before Carrick was given a great opportunity to draw level with a penalty kick after Evra was upended by Blake in the box.

But Brian Jensen saved Carrick’s spot kick, a big hand reaching out to frustrate United, not for the last time on the night.

The Danish keeper, announced as man of the match by the stadium announcer as time ran out, came to Burnley’s rescue on several more occasions after the break.

Park Ji-Sung saw a shot pawed away on 67 minutes before Ryan Giggs was denied by the big Dane three minutes later, following a neat one-two with Rooney.

Substitute Antonio Valencia had earlier made a mess of a far post header and the pressure on Burnley’s goal increased as the full-time whistle approached, but United never really looked like getting a later leveller.

Instead, celebrations were left to the home faithful, who were able to enjoy a famous night.